The Things We Lost In The Fire
by Joseph Haney
Summary: Short AU one-shot inspired by an RP in The Convergence forum. Firefighter Kara has to break some hard news to teenager Alex.


The fire that the crew had been working on for the better part of five hours was now just a plume of smoke rising into the night sky. The house was beyond repair, having been completely gutted by the fire. Kara Danvers stood by one of the trucks, taking off her helmet and running her fingers through her hair with a small sigh. She wasn't looking forward to the task ahead. Admittedly, she didn't necessarily have to be the one to do it, but she couldn't stand the thought of someone else delivering this news.

"I know what you're thinking," a voice said from beside her. Looking over, she saw her captain, J'onn J'onzz, who was giving her an understanding look.

"Care to enlighten me?" Kara said, hearing in her own voice how tired she was.

"You're thinking that you need to be the one to go to the hospital to check on the girl," he said. "Even though you're exhausted and smell like smoke."

"I don't need to be," Kara replied. "I just…I want to be the one to do it."

"Kara," he began, but she quickly cut him off.

"Captain…She should have a friendly face to wake up to," Kara said. "And I have at least a bit of an idea of what she's going to be going through in the next few months. Better than most, anyway. And I don't want some doctor telling her and then running off to another patient." She paused when she saw that J'onn was smiling at her. "What?"

"I was just going to suggest that you clean yourself up first," he said, digging out the keys to the station car out of his pocket and handed them to her. "Go back to the station, take a shower, get a bit of sleep and then go to the hospital. We can handle things here"

Kara took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah, alrght," she said. "I…I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"

"It is tomorrow," J'onn said with a small chuckle. "I'll see you the day after."

"Right," Kara said with a small nod. She turned and started toward the car.

She went back to the station and showered and laid down to take a quick nap, setting an alarm for a few hours later. When she woke up, the rest of the crew was just coming back. She got into her car and made her way to the hospital.

Alex was already sitting up in bed when Kara walked into her room. All things considered, the girl looked okay. She had a bandage on her right hand to cover one of the more serious burns and her face and she let out a hacking cough as Kara entered the room due to the smoke she'd inhaled.

"Sorry," the girl said in a raspy as she picked up the glass of water from her bedside table and taking a sip. "The doctor said it's the smoke. Should clear up after a while, though."

"It will," Kara said with a small smile. "I…I don't know if you remember me or not…"

"You're the firefighter who pulled me out of the house last night, right?" Alex said.

"That's right," Kara said with a nod. "I…I wanted to come by and see how you were doing."

"All things considered, I'm doing alright," Alex said with a small shrug. "I…I haven't seen my parents yet, though. I'm starting to get worried. The doctor said no one else was brought in…" She looked to Kara. "Did…did you see them? At the fire?"

Kara was quiet for a moment, taking a deep breath and walking over to the girl's bedside. "Alex…After the ambulance left to bring you here…I started to go back for your parents. But…before I could reach the house…" She swallowed, trying to get rid of the lump in her throat as she forced herself to look the girl in the eye. "The roof caved in. We…we tried everything we could, but we couldn't get to them…"

"No," Alex said, shaking her head, tears forming in her eyes. "No, they…they can't be…you're wrong."

"I wish I was," Kara said, sitting on the bed and reaching out to take the girl's good hand. "Believe me, I wish I was. Alex, I'm so sorry."

Alex was quiet for a moment, then closed her eyes, her entire body shaking as the sobs came, inter-mixed with coughs from her smoky lungs. Kara repositioned herself on the bed so that she was sitting next to the girl, sliding an arm around her and holding her close and doing her best to offer some level of comfort.

"I know it hurts," Kara said softly. "I…I wish I could take the pain away." It was all she could think to say.

She didn't move from the spot on the bed, letting the girl let it all out. "Wh-wh-what am I gonna do?" the girl managed to choke out after the sobs had finally ended. "I…I don't have anyone else…No family…"

Kara swallowed as a fresh pang hit her. She hadn't considered the girl wouldn't have any other family to go stay with. She'd been lucky to have her aunt to take her in instead of going to live in the crowded Children's Home…

"Well…if…if you want, you can come stay with me for a bit," she said without thinking.

The sobs stopped and Alex looked up at Kara, wiping her eyes. "What?" she said in a timid voice, as though she wasn't sure if she'd head correctly.

"You can stay with me," Kara said, her voice firm with resolve. "For as long as you'd like. If…if you want of course. And you don't have to decide right away. You can think it –"

"No, I…I would like to," Alex interrupted. "I mean…it's either you or the children's home. And I don't want to go there. "

"Well…then it's settled," Kara said with a small smile. "I'll get the guest room ready for you. And pick up some essentials. And you…you should try to rest. I'll be back to check on you a little later, alright?"

"Could…could you stay?" Alex asked. "I just…I don't want to be alone right now."

Kara nodded, giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Of course," she said. "I'll stay as long as you like."


End file.
